South African police were hunting gunmen on Sunday, September 27, after two separate shootings near Johannesburg and Cape Town killed at least 27 people and injured 26 others within hours. Police said 17 people died in an attack on a bar in Wedela township on Saturday night, while 10 were killed at an entertainment venue in Lwandle early Sunday. Authorities have not established a confirmed motive for either attack.
The shootings struck communities near South Africa’s two largest cities during a week of deadly gun violence. Police said another attack at a house party near Durban had killed 11 people several days earlier. The two latest incidents are being investigated separately; officials have not said they are linked.
In Wedela, southwest of Johannesburg, police said eight assailants armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols fired at patrons outside the bar and then continued shooting inside. Thirteen men and four women were killed, and at least 15 other people were injured, according to the Associated Press. Police said the attackers took some patrons’ phones and escaped in two vehicles. Gauteng police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni said investigators were examining whether a dispute connected to illegal mining played a role, but described that as a line of inquiry rather than a finding.
Around four hours later, gunmen attacked a venue in Lwandle, near Cape Town, killing 10 people and wounding 11, police said. Western Cape police assigned serious violent crime detectives to the case. A police official raised a possible business dispute, but authorities had not verified that explanation. Police said no arrests had been made in either investigation as of Sunday’s reports, and specialized units were searching for suspects.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said security forces would intensify their response, according to Reuters. The attacks have renewed scrutiny of violent crime in South Africa, where police statistics cited by AP recorded 5,427 homicides in the three months ending June 30. Investigators must still identify the perpetrators and determine why the two venues were targeted. Further official updates could change the casualty figures or clarify the circumstances.
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